This invention relates generally to railway car couplers and, more particularly, to an improved railway car coupler knuckle.
The invention is applicable to Association of American Railroads (AAR) type E and type F couplers which are comprised of a coupler shank and head, the coupler head having a vertical lock chamber and a pivotally connected coupler knuckle.
Railway car coupler knuckles are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,670,901, 3,722,708, 3,856,156, 4,090,615 and 4,645,085. The present invention provides an improved, strengthened knuckle, wherein modifications of the knuckle structure have resulted in a knuckle that is particularly stronger in the transition area of the knuckle and also in the knuckle pivot pin area. Such strengthened areas particularly improve the pulling strength of the knuckle.
Such railway car couplers and coupler knuckles are usually comprised of cast steel, and the interrelationship of the mold and the cores within the mold are critical to developing and producing an improved railway car coupler knuckle.